INFO Though they never found widespread success, the London-based quintetGirl provided a tenuous link between the '70s glam movement and itsheavier but no less sleazy late-'80s counterpart. Their brief existenceand uneven output notwithstanding, Girl are now best remembered as thestarting point for a pair of illustrious musicians who would go on togreater fame and fortune with other acts.

Sheer GreedGirl were formed in 1979 by vocalist Philip Lewis, guitarists Phil Collenand Gerry Laffy, bassist Simon Laffy, and drummer Dave Gaynor. Dressedin sharp clothes, covered in makeup, and boldly announcing they wantedto be England's answer to the New York Dolls, the bandmembers were a bitof an oddity at a time when dirty punk was giving way to even dirtierheavy metal (the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was about to take off).As it happened, though, their counterintuitive image and direction wereexactly what they needed to get themselves noticed, and a videotapedperformance would get them signed by Jet Records (home to Ozzy Osbourneand ELO). A pair of singles preceded their enthusiastic but uneven firstalbum, Sheer Greed, which was released in January 1980, climbed to arespectable number 33 on the U.K. charts, and found even greater successin Japan (as one would expect).

Wasted YouthA U.K. tour supporting UFO followed, but Girl's live show needed work andthey were regularly victimized by a less than sympathetic press,already growing tired of the band's novelty aspect. A new drummer withan improbable name, Pete Barnacle (ex-Gillan), replaced Gaynor prior tothe recording of Girl's belated second album, 1982's Wasted Youth, bywhich time the band's reputation was in the crapper and its forwardmomentum all but spent. A Japanese tour only delayed the inevitable, andGirl finally disintegrated when Collen joined Def Leppard later thatyear. Gerry Laffy would go on to a barely public solo career and, aftershort stints in the London Cowboys and Airrace, Philip Lewis finally hitit big as frontman of California sleaze kings L.A. Guns.Sheer Greed - 1980 (1989)01. Hollywood Tease (02:39)02. The Things You Say (03:54)03. Lovely Lorraine (02:36)04. Strawberries (02:55)05. Little Miss Ann (02:40)06. Doctor Doctor (02:42)07. Do You Love Me (Kiss cover)(03:18)08. Take Me Dancing (02:29)09. What's Up (02:34)10. Passing Clouds (04:58)11. My Number (03:52)12. Heartbreak America (02:44)